Under the Same Roof
by FideliusXIII
Summary: Winry and Ed each deal with living under the same roof during the two-year period when the Elric brothers are back in Resembool.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This began as an opening chapter of a series of chapters I had floating around in my head and had planned to write out about the few years at home that Ed and Al spend before heading off their separate ways at the end of **_**Brotherhood**_**. Now though I honestly don't think I will ever get around to writing any more of it. So here it was sitting on my hard drive being all lonely by itself, ****so I've decided to just upload it as a oneshot****. Enjoy and leave comments y'all!**

**Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.**

Under the Same Roof: Chapter 1

Winry's eyes fluttered open. It was the early morning, probably three or four she guessed. A bright beam of moonlight illuminated the far side of her small neat bedroom, save for her cluttered desk, which was strewn with tools and parts. Stifling a yawn, she sat up in her bed, gazing out her window upon the tranquil green landscape of Resembool that she always woke up to. Its familiarity had brought her solace during those quiet nights when Ed and Al had been corralling through the entirety of Amestris on their quest to reclaim Al's body.

Winry sighed, the air flapping her lips. The lonely void of depression was slowly creeping into her chest. She had had a dream. A most wonderful dream. Ed had been the perfect gentlemen, lavishing her with soft caresses, hugs, and cheerful smiles. _The perfect boyfriend_. It was one of those dreams that was absolutely blissful, one of those dreams she never wanted to wake up from. His long soft golden hair, his carefree grin, and his automail arm. A laugh escaped her mouth. Winry didn't know whether it was sick or funny that Ed still required the use of his mechanical arm in her dreams. It was a testament to just how much of a gear-head she was. Not that she would ever take the term as an insult.

After such dreams, she would wake up and be unable to go back to sleep, so she would just lie in bed, with her arms pillowing the back of her head, and think. Just think. It was always like this after such dreams, except now they were happening more and more often with Ed home full-time now. He and Al had been back for the past three months. Life sure had changed since those quiet days when it had been just her and Granny manning the automail shop. A part of her missed those days. Only a little part though. She smiled.

During the daytime, she was genuinely happy that there were men around to help with the house chores and join her and Granny at the dinner table every evening for dinner. She seemed to be getting less and less sleep these days though. There was always something to keep her awake. If it wasn't a romantic dream that left her feeling lonely and depressed in the morning, it was Ed's rhythmic snoring coming from right across the hallway. It wasn't that it bothered her in the least; she loved listening to his gentle breathing and knowing that he was so close by. It sent shivers down her spine just thinking about it.

She swept the covers off of herself and placed her feet into her warm fuzzy slippers. Her slightly ajar bedroom door creaked as she opened it. Stepping into the hallway, she smiled to herself as Ed's snoring got a louder in her ears before she made her way to the downstairs kitchen. The room was swathed with so much silvery moonlight that it wasn't necessary to turn on the lights. Reaching into an overhead cupboard, she grabbed a large glass jar of milk, pouring some into a saucepan and heating it on the stove. _Nothing beats the comfort of warm milk_, she thought to herself. _Except tooling away at my workbench of course._ She let out a contented sigh. For the most part, life was good. But such contentedness never stopped her from dreaming about how it could all be so much better.

Sitting down at the kitchen table, with a piping mug of steaming liquid to warm her clammy palms, she looked out the window again. It wasn't that with Ed being in the house full time made her think about him more. She had thought about him just as much when it had been just her and Granny living at home. Now though, her thoughts were so much more… unrestrained. With him not in such close proximity, it had been much easier to tell herself that her fantasies were too out of line and ridiculous. Now though, his mere presence was melting away her resolution, and she could no longer stop herself from thinking about him more optimistically.

Short of some miracle, Ed would never bring himself to admit his feelings for her. Oh, she knew they were there, somewhere deep down in his heart. But the thing with Ed was that he couldn't be pushed on such matters. Doing so would only cause him to shove those feelings deeper and deeper inside, until one day, he wouldn't even be able to find them anymore. Besides, Winry wasn't one to pry. She was absolutely firm with herself, though, that she wasn't going to admit anything to Edward Elric until he made the first move, but that never stopped her from manifesting her feelings for him in other ways.

Her mug emptied of its contents, she placed it in the sink and began to retrace her steps back up to her room. Reaching the second floor, she approached Al's room. His door was open so she peeked inside. Al was sitting on the edge of his bed, his shoulders hunched with his head down, staring into his open palms in front of his face.

"Alphonse?" She cleared the threshold of his room and looked at him.

He looked up from his palms, their eyes meeting. Although Al's eyes were always kinder and calmer than Ed's, they were the exact same shade of amber, she noted. Sometimes she wished Ed's eyes would look at her the same way Al's did.

"Hey Winry," came his reply. Al's soft voice, which still sounded rather childish, certainly worked to enhance his boyish character. She couldn't imagine him with a deeper voice. He wouldn't be Al then.

"You can't sleep either?" Winry shook her head and crossed the room to sit next to Al on his bed.

A small chuckle escaped Al's mouth. "You know, I'm awfully grateful that Brother got me my body back," he began. "But it sure is taking a while for me to adjust from that bulky suit of armor I had for three years."

Winry placed a hand on his shoulder. "How are you coping?" Al certainly hadn't had any trouble readjusting to the fact that he could now ingest food and liquids again. If anything, he was much more appreciative of every single meal she and Granny cooked. His hunger must have accumulated over those three years and now he had to staunch the surplus.

"I guess I'm still not used to sleeping," he lamented. "My body is still weak and my muscles aren't entirely back to normal yet," he nudged the cane that he kept next to his bed. "I'm pretty tired most of the time, but I'm only ever able to sleep a few hours each night. I guess I got used to those long nights just listening to Brother's snoring."

Winry burst out laughing. Al looked at her strangely. He didn't think not being able to sleep was any grounds for humor. When her laughing petered out, a huge smile still decorated her features. "Sorry Al, it's just that, well, there are many nights when I'm not able to get any sleep either for the same reason."

Now it was Al's turn to laugh. "I see." He didn't inquire any further. One of the nice things about Al was that he never pried into anything that wasn't strictly his business. He had known for a long time now how Winry felt about his brother. There was an unspoken agreement between the two childhood friends that Winry's relationship with Ed was one that would work itself out in time. If she needed consoling when his brother acted like an oblivious jerk to her, Al would gladly provide it, but other than that, he kept his hands off. For that, she would always be grateful.

They sat in silence for a bit, just enjoying the stillness of the night, before Al flashed another one of his warm smiles. "Thanks Winry," he stretched his arms behind his back, taking care not to overextend his muscles. "I feel much better now. I think I'll be able to get some sleep."

She smiled back. _I guess he was just lonely_. "Sweet dreams Al. If you ever find yourself too lonely to sleep, chances are I'll be up too, so you can drop my room if that's the case."

"Sure Winry. You should try and get some sleep as well." He rolled onto his side, pulling the covers up snugly. Soon he had nodded off, his breathing slow and deep.

She watched his sleeping form for a full minute. In her heart, Al was always the brother she never had, and she loved him dearly. She had thought of Ed the same way too back when they were younger. Eventually though, she found that Ed had slowly migrated to a different section of her heart, one that just seemed a bit more important than the one Al occupied. She still felt a pang of guilt about it sometimes, but she knew Al wouldn't begrudge her.

Winry let out a happy sigh. _I guess I just have a thing for jerks_, she thought half-heartedly. Of course, she didn't really believe for a second that Ed was a jerk. Part of it probably had to do with his complex about his lack of height, but for the most part, he was headstrong, stubborn, and, dare she think it, pigheaded. In many ways, he was a lot like her. Docile wasn't a word to describe either Edward Elric or Winry Rockbell. She found herself standing in front of Ed's open bedroom door.

It was just that… well, he had had to grow up so fast. Since he was eleven really. Since Auntie Trisha had passed away. Ed was, in her mind, the epitome of self sacrifice. Her head leaning on the doorframe of his room, she closed her eyes, remembering the time when he had asked her to make a trip to Central for him on account of his dysfunctional arm, because _she_ had forgotten to put in the stupid A-08 screw. It had been a miracle that his arm had been working at all really.

Al had been distraught for the most part while she was in Amestris's capital. He had thought, following his fight with Barry the Chopper, that he was simply an 'armor doll' created by Ed. Al had deluded himself into thinking that everyone that cared about him, Winry and Granny included, was part of some conspiracy against him. And he had questioned the very motives which had fueled Ed to work so hard as a dog of the military. She had given Al a good beating with her trusty wrench over that particular incident. But Ed, he couldn't bring himself to even really get mad at his beloved little brother. He had given up so much for Al. He had given up so much for her as well. _Ed_.

She was sitting on the edge of his bed now, watching him sleep, not unlike how mothers would watch their babies sleep. His long hair was splayed all over his pillow, and it really did make him look quite feminine, she thought. His mouth hung agape, but not enough that it repulsed her with his morning breath. He looked so peaceful and untroubled when he slept.

"Ed?" she whispered softly into his ear. "Are you awake?" Nope, he was out cold. Just to make sure, she poked his cheek with her index finger. Not even a twitch. She smiled at his sleeping form. _You big idiot_. She meant it in the most endearing way possible. Leaning down, she planted a kiss on his forehead. _Only because you're asleep, and you'll never hear about this from me_.

She stayed with him until the early morning rays of sunlight poked over the far off hills, sleep no longer even remotely on her mind. When he began to stir in the golden sunlight, she got up and made her way downstairs to go help Granny prepare breakfast. _You'll never hear it from me_, she repeated with a longing glance back over her shoulder at Ed.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey all! So I know a while back now when I posted the first chapter of this story I thought that it would end up being a one-shot. Well, inspiration stuck and now I've written what will most definitely be the second and last chapter of this story, which takes place the last few days before Ed hops on the train westward in the last scene of **_**Brotherhood**_**. I hope you guys enjoy it and leave comments!**

Under the Same Roof: Chapter 2

The _clink, clink, clink_ of Winry's hammer on steel reverberated through the workshop with a constant rhythm. Ed was sitting comfortably on a chair, waiting for Winry to finish tinkering with his automail leg. Throughout the two years he'd been back in Resembool living with Winry and Granny, he'd come to spend quite a bit of time in this workshop, as Winry seemed to have become even fussier about maintaining his automail limb in tip-top condition.

Truth be told, the clinking, which he had come to associate with Winry, made him feel calm, even almost at peace. Ed closed his eyes and tilted his head back against the wall, letting his mind drift off.

"Hey! Don't you go napping on me back there Edward Elric!" came Winry's voice from her workbench. She hadn't even looked up from her tinkering. Ed opened his eyes, sat up straight, and groaned his displeasure.

"You know full well your prosthetics need to be in optimal condition before you head off to wherever you're off to," Winry's voice sounded half annoyed, half resigned.

"For the hundredth time, I'm heading west to Creta to study their forms of alchemy," Ed recounted. "And Al headed off east to Xing to study alkahestry with Mei."

"Even now that you aren't able to perform alchemy, you're still just as obsessed with that dismal science as ever," Winry said crossly.

Ed snapped forward in his chair. "Dismal science?" he exclaimed, his gaze boring into Winry.

"Dismal science!" she echoed back at him, meeting his gaze with reciprocated intensity.

Ed ground his teeth in frustration. They were _not_ having this argument again. He broke off from their staring contest and crossed his arms in front of his chest, his face feeling hot. Winry's clinking started back up again, an angry look on her face as well.

After two years of living together under the same roof, the three childhood friends were once again parting ways, but this time, Ed wouldn't have Al by his side. This realization had hit him full force when he and Winry had gone with Al to the train station to see him off along with his chimera bodyguards, Zampano and Jerso. This would be the first time Ed and Al would be apart for an extended period of time. It would be months, years even maybe, before they'd see each other again. Ed almost couldn't handle himself seeing Al head off into the world without him. He had been close to undergoing an emotional breakdown right there on the platform.

Al, on the other hand, had seemed almost eager to explore the world on his own volition The dapper young man never took anything his older brother had done for him for granted, but Al now felt the need to discover himself and find his own way after residing in his brother's shadow for so long. Winry understood Al's motivations and wished him a heartfelt and happy goodbye.

Taking a deep breath, Ed steeled himself against the tumult of emotions swirling within him. He put a hand on Al's shoulder and pulled him into a tight hug. "Take care of yourself out there, Alphonse," Ed said, his tone gravely. "Come back to us safely."

Al chuckled within Ed's embrace, returning it in kind. "Honestly, I'm more worried about you, Brother, since you can no longer use alchemy…" Al's voice trailed off, not wanting to continue on the subject of Ed's eternal sacrifice on his account.

Ed's trademark ear-to-ear grin blossomed across his face. He obviously didn't regret what he had done for Al one bit, even if Al himself felt compunction and a bit of shame over that particular act on Ed's part. "I'd do it all over again if I had to," said Ed. He punched Al lightly on the shoulder. "Plus, you always lose to me now when we spar," he added, throwing a few shadow punches in the air.

"Not too surprising considering Al no longer has the size advantage on you and his muscles just recently recovered from the accumulated atrophy," Winry chastised, wrapping her arm around Ed and putting him in a neck hold. Al held back his snickers as Ed struggled against Winry. The platform echoed with Ed's yelps of 'Unhand me, woman!' as the whistle of the steam engine cut through the air.

Ed was awoken from his recollections of Al's departure two days ago by Winry's excited exclamation of "There! Good as new!" Straightening in his chair, Ed groaned aloud; he'd never get used to what was coming next. He stuck out the stump that was his left leg, allowing Winry access to the connection hub that was attached above where his knee should have been. She got to work reconnecting the automail limb to Ed's leg. As she was about to rewire his nerve endings to the sensor arrays, Ed winced in preparation of the pain he knew was about to come.

"You're such a baby," Winry said, rolling her eyes at him. There was a hiss of pneumatics as the prosthetic limb was reattached. "There, you're good to go," she said, patting the shining metallic kneecap. "Go on, give it a whirl."

Opening his eyes gingerly, Ed put his automail leg through some experimental movements and flexes. It felt lighter than ever! He could hardly even feel the weight discrepancy between his metallic leg and his normal leg. "It barely hurt this time when you reconnected the nerve clusters," he noted tentatively.

"That's 'cause I'm great at what I do," Winry replied, her tone sounding almost cocky. She walked out the door of her workshop, slipping the green bandana she wore off of her hair and letting it fall to her waist in all its golden splendor. "Lunch will be ready in an hour," she added.

Was it just his imagination, or did Winry seem to shimmer as she let her hair tumble? Ed blinked. "Oh my gosh, what am I thinking about?" he shouted, pulling at his hair, a rather crazed expression on his face. His face felt red and warm. Thankfully, Winry had already gone into the house and hadn't heard his tirade. _I need some time to clear my head,_ he thought. Usually, his go-to option whenever he was feeling like this would be to spar with Al, but that wasn't possible right now. _Time to go for a run then._

The rest of the day flew by in the blink of an eye, and now Ed was lying in bed, trying to get some shut eye before he was due to catch the early morning train bound west for Creta. His pre-lunch run had only served to jumble his thoughts more than they had been originally. Now, lying in bed, he had too many deliberations thundering through his head, each one vying for his attention and keeping him awake. He wanted to catch some shut-eye before his long journey in the morning, but his brain just would not allow him to do so. The fact that he would be gone again for an extended period of time, that he wouldn't be back for many months or even years, did not sit well with him. Once again, Winry would be far away and distant. Compared to when he and Al were on their quest to reclaim their bodies, this time his absence would be more final, more distant than any previous time.

Living with Winry in such close proximity was different this time around. They both felt it; an underlying level of emotional angst that permeated the interactions between the two childhood friends. Now he knew why it had been there and what it meant. Realizing this had brought something very fundamental to the forefront of his mind. It was something that wouldn't sit well with him if he didn't get it off his shoulders before he left. _Why didn't I see this before? Why now? Right before I'm about to leave._ And yet, it wasn't a totally new realization. It actually felt right. Deep down in his soul, he had known all along that things were going to turn out like this, that these emotions that had been roiling within him since forever now would eventually come to a boil.

_I need to tell her,_ he thought resolutely. _Before I get on that train._ His tiny voice of self-doubt uttered its displeasure, its abject terror. His heart, however, screamed out '_Finally! Go for it Ed!'_ A smile curled its way onto his face, his eyes slowly closing, sleep beginning to cloud his mind. _How hard could it be?_ he reassured himself. _After all, it's just the law of equivalent exchange, right?_

_**Fullmetal Alchemist**_** belongs to Hiromu Arakawa. I do not own any of the characters in this story. **


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